Results 21-40 of 6,836 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank the Deputy for her question. My Department published the number of stakeholder submissions including names in the Regulatory Impact Assessment report on its website on 17 June. The following stakeholders were consulted:The National Skills Council (and their member organisations) The High Level Skills Implementation Group (and their member organisations)Chambers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Scheme is administered on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I, and my Department, welcome the recommendation from the National Skills Council for the establishment of a National Skills Observatory (NSO). The OECD’s report on Ireland’s Skills Strategy (2023) provides a clear evidence base for the establishment of a NSO to enable a more coherent approach to the collation, use, and dissemination of skills and labour market data across the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The student referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the Independent Student Grant Appeals Board (the Board) on the 15th September 2025. This is due to be considered by the Board on or before the 14th November 2025. The determination of the Board will be communicated directly to the student.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: There has been a strong and sustained commitment to apprenticeships demonstrated by government. Since the formation of my department and the subsequent publication of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, investment in apprenticeship training has increased by 85%, from €184 million in 2020 to €339 million in 2025. This investment has supported strong employer demand...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Investment in the apprenticeship system has been significant since my department was formed in 2020. To ensure an adequate pipeline of skilled apprentices to support government targets on housing and infrastructure development, €77 million was invested in the apprenticeship system in Budget 2025, bringing the total current budget for apprenticeship to €339 million. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Ensuring that Ireland’s apprenticeship population reflects the diversity of our society is a cornerstone of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025. A key objective within this plan is improving gender balance across all apprenticeship programmes. In January 2022, as part of the implementation of the Action Plan, government introduced a targeted grant of €2,666...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I refer to the Deputy’s question regarding the implementation of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan, which was previously addressed in July. The Plan, jointly published by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation remains a central commitment under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025. It sets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the State provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution element. The State pays the student contribution (in full or part) on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme administered by SUSI. The cost-of-Living measures in recent years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Budget 2025 saw a significant increase in income thresholds effective from 1st September 2025:The special rate of Maintenance Threshold increased from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with Social Welfare Increases.All standard rate Maintenance Thresholds, the Part-Time Fee Scheme threshold and the Student Contribution Thresholds increased by 15%;The Postgraduate Student Contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The main form of financial assistance available to higher education students is the Student Grant Scheme which is administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). My Department does however recognise the need to offer support for more flexible forms of learning and last year, for the first time, a new Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was introduced to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Springboard+, established in 2011, continues to play a vital role in expanding access to higher education by offering flexible, work-focused learning opportunities to adult learners across the country. It continues to play a role in increasing the rate of engagement in lifelong learning, reskilling those whose occupation may be at risk from technological advancement and the development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Springboard+ 2025 was launched in May and is providing almost 8,000 places on 249 courses, including part-time Micro-credentials and full-time ICT Skills Conversion courses. Information and Communication Technologies continues to be a critical skills area for the programme with over 1,450 places on 50 courses funded for the 2025/26 academic year. Of these 395 places are on courses in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: In order to address the increasing challenge of unpredictable shifts in the workplace, I want to ensure that opportunities and pathways are visible and flexible and align with the needs of enterprise. My Department works with our stakeholders through key partnership platforms, the National Skills Council, and Regional Skills Fora, to embed lifelong learning and shape a system that enables...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I am delighted to inform the Deputy that I am bringing a Memorandum to Government the week commencing 6th of October seeking approval to publish the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025. Subject to Government approval, the Bill is scheduled for publication on 11th of October. In line with standard legislative procedure, a mandatory two-week review period will follow publication...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For more than twenty years, the National Training Fund (NTF) has played a key role in Ireland’s workforce transformation, upskilling employees, preparing jobseekers, and supporting lifelong learning. Budget 2025 delivered a significant investment through the NTF Funding Package, allocating an additional €1.485 billion to the tertiary education sector over six years from 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For the first time, the State is investing in student accommodation to help address the sector’s viability and housing shortage. Under my Department's Short-Term Activation Programme (STAP) €100 million in capital funding has been approved to support stalled university accommodation projects. I officially opened Maynooth University’s 116-bed project on the 8th of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For the last two years, my Department has run a rent-a-room campaigns with the objective of increasing the number of digs beds available to students in advance of the academic year. The 2024 campaign resulted in an increase of approximately 1,800 digs beds advertised by our Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). I can confirm that 2025 rent-a-room campaign is now complete. It is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is committed to breaking down cost and other barriers, making Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) more accessible than ever before. My Department provides direct financial supports to eligible learners. In FET, courses are free or heavily subsidised. Learners in receipt of social welfare can transfer to a learner allowance when participating...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs. This includes determining tuition fees for individual courses. The higher education tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the student's access route. The assessment of a student’s...